Published May 24, 2024
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High boy’s tennis team is ready for a post season after finishing their regular season 8-11 on the spring but, more importantly, ranked #23 in MIAA Power Rankings at press time which is more than enough to punch a ticket into the Div. 2 field.
While final rankings will be released over the weekend, it seems very likely that coach Sam Stalling’s team will compete in the month of June. Recent wins have added to that likelihood. Melrose has enjoyed 3 wins out of their last four games that have all but solidified a post season.
After a few losses in early May, the team bounced back over the last week, starting on May 14 when they beat Stoneham 4-1.
Melrose took the win behind the work of:
1st Singles: Patrick Stratford (Sr. Captain) lost 6-2, 6-0
2nd Singles: Caleb Miller (Sr. Captain) won 6-2, 6-2
3rd Singles: Nathan Chow (Sr. Captain) won 6-0, 6-1
1st Doubles: Joseph Smith (Sr.) and Sammy McQuaid (So.) won 6-2, 6-4
2nd Doubles: Tobin Clouser (Sr.) and Gautik Singh (Jr.) won 6-4, 6-2
And on May 17, Melrose duplicated that win with another 4-1 victory this time over Watertown, with results as follows:
1st Singles: Daniel Teittinen (So.) won 6-1, 6-1
2nd Singles: Patrick Stratford (Sr. Captain) lost 6-4, 6-4
3rd Singles: Caleb Miller (Sr. Captain) won 6-0, 6-0
1st Doubles: Nathan Chow (Sr. Captain) and Joseph Brady (So.) won 6-0, 6-1
2nd Doubles: Alec Truesdale (So.) and Anatoly Heimowitz (So.) won 6-0, 6-1
According to coach Stallings, he was impressed especially by the work of his doubles teams. “We had some awesome efforts at both doubles spots in this match, as Nathan and Joseph played practically flawless tennis. Nathan’s been so strong as of late and Joseph is starting to get more experience with winning matches. I was very proud of Alec and Anatoly at 2nd Doubles. I wasn’t quite sure how they would do given it was Anatoly’s first varsity match, but it was great to see them play well together and get the win.”
Thereafter, Melrose fell to league leader Burlington, 5-0, on May 18, but bounced back after.
“We didn’t put forth our best effort or performances against Burlington, and the match result showed,” says Stallings, “We were short handed, playing on a Saturday, but credit goes to them since they’ve been such a strong team the last few years.”
Sure enough, just three days later on May 21 they edged Malden, 3-2 for their final win of the regular season. Results were:
1st Singles: Daniel Teittinen won 6-0, 6-0
2nd Singles: Patrick Stratford lost 7-6 (4) 6-3
3rd Singles: Caleb Miller won 6-0, 7-6 (5)
1st Doubles: Nathan Chow and Gautik Singh won 6-2, 7-5
2nd Doubles: Joseph Brady and Sammy McQuaid lost 6-4, 0-6, 6-1
“This match was a good result for us,” says the coach. “Daniel took care of business and played with great focus at 1st Singles.”
He also credited the dependable work of Caleb Miller. “Caleb was gritty and dug deep in the 2nd set to force a tiebreaker, and then finished the match in the tiebreaker. He’s been awesome under pressure this year and this was one of his better wins on the season.”
First doubles proved to be a decisive set.
“Nathan and Gautik started a little slow at 1st Doubles, and then got into a 5-2 hole in the 2nd set,” says Coach Stallings. “But they kept pushing and playing hard and won 5 straight games to win the set 7-5 and close out the match. They were awesome today and I expect them to keep the strong play going.”
As they prepare for playoffs, coach Stallings reflects on the team’s overall efforts this spring.
“We have seen a lot of strong performances. Daniel Teittinen has been strong this year at 1st Singles, and he’s always competitive in his matches. Caleb Miller has been solid at 3rd Singles, when he keeps his head about him, he has the ability to beat any of his opponents.”
He also sees lots of improvement from younger doubles players. “Nathan Chow has been a rock for us in our doubles line-ups for years, and he’s certainly peaking at the right time for us. It’s also been great to see a younger guy like Sammy McQuaid come along and start to get some wins under his belt.”
By next week, Melrose should know where they land in the playoff field. Until then, they will fine-tune their skills in practice. “We’ll be focusing on finding our best tennis as we go into the most important time of the year. My goal is to prepare the boys to be at their best so that we can take on anyone that we get matched up with. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Fans are encouraged to visit our social media pages or the MIAA website at www.miaa.net for up to date tournament information.
